So many hard things have been happening around me lately, some in my own life, some in others’, and then awful traumas like the Boston Marathon explosions. Several of my friends were there, luckily all are safe.

At work, one of my colleagues recently lost her young daughter to diabetes. Another friend just told me this story last week–one of her friends was in the McDonald’s drive through and she happened to look back and notice that the young woman behind her had her head down on the steering wheel and was crying. My friend’s friend paid for the young woman’s meals, just as small act of kindness. Well, the young woman followed her and asked why she had helped in such a way. As the two women were talking, the young mother started crying and confessed that she was in such distress, and suffering so much emotionally, that she had planned to bring the Happy Meals home to her young kids, go up to her bedroom and kill herself.

After talking more, the friend convinced to please get some help, and to even allow her to come over and help her get herself together and at least provide some respite for her and the kids.

Yes, this is a really bleak story. But one with a thankfully positive ending. And yes, things like this are happening around us, as we drive to work, as we sit in the next office to someone, as we say “thank you” to the check-out person at the grocery store.

When I saw my colleague who lost her daughter, it happened to be in the grocery store, and we just held each other for a few minutes. “You were such a good mother to her,” I said. “I still can believe she’s gone,” she said. And we both agreed that it is only the support of other people that gets us through times that hurt more than we could have ever imagined.

Please consider doing something kind for someone today, if you don’t do that type of thing already. It helps them but it helps you too, because it reminds you that you have that capacity to step outside of yourself, even if just for a moment. Be kind. Thank God.